Beach umbrella



Dec. 19, 1939. FARHAR 2,183,833

' BEACH UMBRELLA Filed May 24, 1937 40 I G INVENTOR.

BY Mod A TTORN E Y,

Patented Dec. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BEACH UMBRELLA JohnA. Farhar, Bell, Calif. Application May 24, 1937, Serial Nb. 144,458

8 Claims.

My invention relates to a beach umbrella. The principal object of theinvention is to provide coin-controlled mechanism for raising andlowering the umbrella.

A person having a concession for providing umbrellas along a beach, or amunicipal or other corporation having control of a beach may provide aseries of the present coin-controlled umbrellas, the use of which may behad by depositing a coin in the mechanism.

Another object is to provide automatic means for not only raising theumbrella when a coin is deposited in the mechanism, but also to lowerthe umbrella when a prescribed time has elapsed.

Still another object is to provide an umbrella that will collapse insideout when folded together.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully ap- 20pear in the course of the following description.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in theseveral views.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through an embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a broken elevation showing the umbrella in section.

Figure 3 is a broken plan, taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section taken on theline 4-4 30 of Figure 2.

Figures 5 and 6 are face views of opposite sides of a rib and bracejoint of the umbrella.

Figure '7 is a section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 5.

reference character 8 generally designates a housing largely embedded inthe sand 9 of a beach, or other desired place. The buried portion of thehousing is conical as shown at H] with 40 the apex down. A top l2 of thehousing has a ball and socket joint l3 with a tubular standard l4.

The standard has an enlarged section l5 for enclosing an umbrella l6,when the latter is in 45 its folded position. A lid 11 closes thetop ofthe section I5 when the umbrella is in said section, to render itweatherproof. A spring l8 urges the lid closed.

Movable vertically in the standard I4 is a rack 0 I9- Afioating head isnot only movable in the enlarged section l5, but is movable on the rack.The head has a recess 2| for receiving a spring latch 22 disposed in acup 23 at the top of the section I5.

55 The standard I4 is slotted at 24, in which a Referring more in detailto the drawing, the- (Cl. 135-20) l pinion gear 25 operates inengagement with the rack IS. The gear is driven by a sprocket 26 on thesame shaft. A chain 2'! drives the sprocket 26 by means of a smallersprocket 28, which in turn is operated by a reversible motor 29 mountedon the standard l4 within the housing 8.

A time mechanism capable of being actuated by a coin is generallydesignated at 30. Said mechanism may be of any desired form thatinitially closes the circuit for the motor 29,

whereby it rotates in a counter-clockwise direction,'as it is shown inFigure '1. This direction of rotation will cause the umbrella to beraised. After a predetermined time, such as, say, an hour, the timemechanism 30 .actuates a. reversing switch 3|, which reverses the motor29, whereby it rotates in a clockwise direction, to lower the umbrellainto the standard section IS. The. details of the coin-controlled, timemechanism 3D and of the reversing switch 3| may be of any conventionalform, known to those skilled in the art. Further illustration anddescription of same are, therefore, deemed unnecessary.-

An underground conduit 32 is provided for wires 33 to and from a source(not shown). Wires 34 connect the coin-controlled, time mechanism 3Dwith the reversing switch 3|. Wires 35 connect the reversing switch 3|with the motor 29. The circuit is thereby completed.

The umbrella I6 is not of conventional form. The present umbrellacollapses the opposite from the usual form, to wit, inside out. The head2|] carries a series of apertured lugs 36 in which are hooked bent ends31 of braces 38 of the umbrella. Ribs 39 support the fabric material 40of the umbrella. Inner ends of the ribs 39 are hooked and pivoted inloops 4| at the top of the rack IS.- The outer ends of the ribs aresuitably fastened to the outer circumference of the fabric covering 40.

The outer ends of the braces 38 are pivoted in brackets 42. The bracketscontain knuckles 43 that are secured in proper position along the ribs.The outer ends are bent, as best shown at 44 in Figure 7. Said bent endsare inserted in eyes in the brackets, thus obtaining a pivotedconnection between the braces and the brackets. Lips 45 of the bracketsare bent over to keep the bent ends of the braces from escaping. Rivets46 fasten the knuckles 43 down, whereby they firmly grip the ribs.

In the use of the invention, a person drops a coin in a coin slot 41 ofthe coin-controlled time mechanism 30. A knob 48 is provided to move thecoin into operative position in said mechanism. The circuit for themotor is closed, whereby the umbrella is moved upward out of theenclosing section l5. This movement of the umbrella raises the lid l1against the action of the spring I8.

Upward movement of the rack [9 draws the floating head 20 upward also,until it is caught by the spring latch 22. At this point the umbrella isstill substantially collapsed inside out, as generally indicated inbroken lines in Figure 1. The rack thereafter continues its upwardmovement, which causes the umbrella to spread, since the floating head20 is stopped in its upward movement by the top of the section H5.

The ball and socket connection l3 permits the umbrella to be tipped intothe sun in numerous directions. Tipping in one direction is indicated bythe broken lines in Figure 1. When the umbrella is tipped, the motor 29,gear 25, sprocket 26 and chain 27, which are supported on the standardl4, follow such movement. The flexibility for such movement is found inthe wires 34.

At the end of the period paid for by the coin dropped in the mechanism38!, the motor is automatically reversed by the switch 3!, whereby theumbrella is lowered. If the umbrella is tipped at the time the loweringmovement begins, the lower end of the rack l9 engages the sharplyinclined lower sides of the housing It, which defleets the standardgradually to a vertical position.

The first lowering movement of the umbrella is the descent of the rackHi. This causes a collapsing of the umbrella inside out. After thebraces 38 collapse partially toward the rack, continued movement of therack dislodges the floating head from its spring latch, due to the forceapplied to said head through the ribs 39 and braces 38.

By the time the head 29 has reached the bottom of the section [5, theumbrella is enclosed in said section, and the spring I8 closes the lidH. The apparatus is then ready for its next cycle of operation.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as thepreferred embodiment of my invention, the construction is, of course,subject to modifications without departing from the spirit of myinvention. 1, therefore, do not wish to restrict myself to theparticular form of construction illustrated and described, but desire toavail myself of all modifications which may fall within the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In combination, an umbrella having a frame, means movable in oppositedirections connected to open and collapse the frame by its saidrespective movements, a standard for the umbrella, and a housing havinga ball and socket connection with the standard, whereby the umbrella maybe tilted, the housing having an inclined side, said means beingarranged toengage the inclined side when the umbrella is tilted and tofollow the side whereby to straighten up the umbrella as the frame ismoved to a collapsed position.

2. In combination, an umbrella having a frame comprising ribs andbraces, a standard for supporting the frame, a rack movable on thestandard, a head floating on the standard, separate pivotal connectionsbetween the ribs and the rack and between the braces and the head, apinion for driving the rack, latch means for maintaining the head in apredetermined position relative to the standard, the rack being mountedto be driven by the pinion relative to the maintained position of thehead, whereby to move the frame toward and from an open position.

3. In combination, an umbrella having a frame comprising ribs andbraces, a rack connected with the ribs, a head floating relative to therack, a standard in which the umbrella is collapsible, a spring catch tohold the head in a predetermined position when the umbrella is open, anda driven pinion arranged to drive the rack, the rack collapsing theumbrella inside out and moving same within the standard, said movementreleasing the head from its spring latch, to continue the collapsingmovement of the umbrella.

4. In combination, an umbrella having a frame comprising ribs andbraces, a standard for supporting the frame, a rack movable on thestandard to raise and lower the frame by movement of the rack inopposite directions, a head floating on the standard, connectionsbetween the frame and the rack and head, means tolimit the movement ofthe head, and a pinion mounted to drive the rack in opposite directions,relative to the limited position of the head.

5. In combination, an umbrella having a frame, driving means movable inopposite directions connected to open and collapse the frame by its saidrespective movements, a support for the frame, an element mounting thesupport for tilting movement, and means tending to automaticallystraighten up the umbrella vertically as the driving means moves theframe to a collapsed position.

6. In combination, an umbrella having a frame, a normally upright memberconnected with the frame, a head floating on said member and connectedwith the frame, and means to limit the movement of the head, said membermovable in opposite directions, relative to the limited position of thehead, whereby to move the frame toward and from an open position.

'7. In an umbrella, a frame comprising ribs and braces pivotallyconnected together, said pivotal connections having fixed axes, astandard connected with the ribs, a head movable on the standard andconnected with the braces, and means to limit the movement of the head,the connection of the standard with the ribs being movable .from aposition in which the frame is open, toward the head, to collapse theumbrella inside out.

8. In combination, an umbrella having a frame, means movable in oppositedirections connected to open andcollapse the frame by its saidrespective movements, a housing having an inclined side, a standard forthe umbrella having a tiltable connection with the housing, said meansbeing arranged to engage the inclined side of the housing when theumbrella is tilted and to follow the side whereby to straighten up theumbrella as the frame is moved to a collapsed position.

JOHN A. FARHAR.

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